Last updated on 06/28/2026
Sometimes the local pub around the corner isn't enough. Then you need a bar with an idea, a theme or a setting you won't find anywhere else. Berlin offers a whole range of them. Behind the heavy velvet curtains of the Curtain Club in the Ritz-Carlton in Tiergarten, a world of its own opens up, while the Berliner Republik in Mitte has the beer price calculated like the stock exchange, complete with crash and bell chime. The Zyankali Bar in Kreuzberg celebrates drinking culture in a chemistry-lab look, and at the Train Cocktailbar in Schöneberg you sit in a converted S-Bahn carriage from 1920. Whether burlesque, ice or fairy tales, going out becomes an experience here. Which of these bars would you step into first?
Francesca Cerza
I like bars that tell a story before the first drink even arrives. At the Zyankali Bar I drank from test tubes, and at the Berliner Republik I watched the beer price fall. For this list I went where Berlin dares to do something different. These are my ten favorite finds.
Heavy velvet curtains, Art Deco interior, and a former London Beefeater who heralds the ceremony daily at 6 PM: The Curtain Club at the Ritz-Carlton on Potsdamer Platz in Mitte is Berlin's most elegant cocktail bar, with an unmistakable homage to the Roaring Twenties.
In Wilmersdorf, just a stone's throw from Ku'damm, the Provocateur Bar celebrates the Golden Twenties with red velvet, dimmed lights, and cocktails that go far beyond standard bar offerings. Burlesque aesthetics and precise mixology are united under one roof here.
On Oranienstraße, an unassuming green facade leads into a cocktail bar that is much more than that. Behind the door of Prinzipal Kreuzberg awaits an evening in the spirit of the Weimar Republic: Art Deco ambience, handcrafted drinks, and Berlin's most intimate burlesque stage.
Top10 Club Perk
Exclusive for Top10 Club members
Value ~ €30
Ring the bell at an unassuming door near Volkspark Friedrichshain and you'll find yourself in a magical speakeasy that Tim Burton himself couldn't have dreamed up better. The Fairytale Bar at Volkspark Friedrichshain transforms cocktail evenings into adventures for adults, somewhere between Alice in Wonderland and Grimm's dark fairy tales.
Located at Rosenthaler Platz in Berlin-Mitte, there's a cocktail bar that's more concept than pub: The Sharlie Cheen Bar bears the name of a fictional playboy and serves drinks whose menu is designed like his diary. Craftsmanship and precision in every glass are paramount here.
The Zyankali Bar in Kreuzberg is Berlin's oldest independent cocktail bar and a true laboratory: molecular drinks, house-distilled absinthe, and barrel-aged cocktails make Gneisenaustraße the go-to address for anyone who truly takes bar culture seriously.
Top10 Club Perk
Exclusive for Top10 Club members
Value ~ €12
On Schiffbauerdamm in Berlin-Mitte, directly on the Spree, sits one of the city's unique bars: The Berliner Republik combines a classic capital city pub with a real beer stock exchange, where supply and demand determine the price. Berlin cuisine, 18 beers on tap, and lively hustle and bustle until the early morning included.
Between Alexanderplatz and Hackescher Markt lies a bar that literally takes its guests' breath away: The Icebar Berlin keeps its rooms cooled to minus ten degrees Celsius, transforming an evening in Berlin into a 19th-century Arctic polar expedition.
In Kreuzberg, directly at Schlesisches Tor, one of Berlin's most unique bars is hidden in a former brothel: Madame Claude literally turns everything upside down. Sofas, lamps, and tables stick to the ceiling, while every evening live music, DJs, and open-mic nights lure guests into the cellar.
In Schöneberg, right by Kleistpark U-Bahn station, awaits a bar that literally stands out: The Train Cocktailbar is located in a restored 1920s tram carriage, complete with a gilded ceiling, chandeliers, and heated seats. Behind it opens up a covered pavilion with a lounge terrace.
